Sabata Mpho-Mokae, a South African Literary Award-winning author, poet, translator and creative writing lecturer at Sol Plaatje University, has been appointed as a creative industry ambassador by the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture.
SABATA Mpho-Mokae, a South African Literary Award-winning author, poet, translator and creative writing lecturer at Sol Plaatje University, has been appointed as a creative industry ambassador by the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Zizi Kodwa.
Mokae will accompany the minister on outreach programmes to promote books and publishing as a “creative hero” in his field and share his knowledge, experiences and skills throughout the country.
Mokae said that he was honoured to be inducted as a creative ambassador alongside other influential personalities including Lillian Dube, Pops Mahomed, Mbuso Khoza, Vanya Mangaislo of the “Sun Goddess” fashion label and Hilda Tloubatla – one of the three women founders of Mahotella Queens.
“We will be the first creative industry ambassadors who will serve in a 12-month pilot project as from December 1, while our appointments may be renewed.
“I thank the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture for showing confidence in me. This would not have been possible without the support of my publisher, Xarra Books, and my employer, Sol Plaatje University. I will do my best as a creative industry ambassador alongside other artists whose work I respect,” he added.
Mokae is the author of several award-winning books including “The Story of Sol T Plaatje”, “Revisiting Sol Plaatje’s Mafeking Diary” and the Setswana works “Ga ke Modisa” and “Moletlo wa Manong”.
He is also a fellow in writing at the University of Iowa in the USA and an affiliate of the Tsikinya-Chaka Centre at Wits University
Mokae commutes between Kimberley and London to collaborate with Professor Brian Willan for ongoing research on Sol Plaatje.
“So far we have published academic books, both in South Africa and the United Kingdom,” he added.
Sol Plaatje University congratulated Mokae for his inspiring vision for arts and culture.
